The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-06
THE RIYETERS' STRIKE.
A Card from the Operatives Who
Are Out.
To the Editor of THE HERALD:

| having IdhSu IuO AcSCoSdEy 6GSpo "
place our feelings before the mind OF
Mr.. Rowe, manager shoe manufactur-
ing department of the above institution
without receiving any satisfaction, we
desire space IN the columns of your
valuable paper to pece before the pub
lie the true cause which has led to ouI
present situation. In the first place,
after vacation for about two weeks. ii
was giveG out that the riveters should
resume WORK on Thursday, February Sd,
1887. On Monday January 31st, portion
of the riveters were requested to meet
! Mr.. Rowe at the Shoe Factory, and
| there was presented to them a new
r,rice list for the commoner classes of
| work which offered most outrageous
reduction. as shall be shown further on.
| The men before referred to were given
until the following day to consider the
propo .ed price list. and were to meet
again at the Shoe Factory or some other
available place, to report to Mr.. Rowe
the result of their deliberations. 1t will
| be seen, however how utterly impos-
sible it would be for the men to come to
any united underst anding - most Of
them living in different directions, and
none in central situation and not be-
ing DESTROYS to meet in any place
that would reflect discredit on the
men, or the institution by which
they are employed, they therefore
accepted what seemed to be the in
evitable, but were DESTROYS that all the
Tiveters be invited to attend the meet
ing as all were interested in the same
Bur, upon some of those making their
appearance at the meeting, whom Mr..
Rowe had not invited, they were told
by that gentleman that they wereo not
interested in this matter, and. could
come to work on Thursday. 1t will be
readily understood by the above state
meRt, that the object of Mr.. Rowe
was to divide the men, which, if it had
been accomplished would have re- ulted
in the attainment of his object, and the
dragging down of the men to begeary,
as well as slavery. To show that all
the men were interested in the pro-
posed price list, it is simply necessary
to state that all the riVeters have to
make the common classes of work,
when the better classes are not in
demand, or when the other classes are
in greater demand.
lu6 IlNSICIo D4ls IlOh z udu
notified, therefore met at the shoe
factory, having no other alternative,
ana being surrounded by that gentle
made an unavoidable conc, ssion (un-
avoidable by reason of the circum-
stances under which it was made) TO
try the proposed price list for one
month, or two weeks in team work,
(Which means, two men working to-
gether, one lasting, the other mailing,
and putting on the heels) and two
weeks single handed.
How utterly impossible it was
for the men to come to any
satisfactory conclusion among them
selves, when he who stood
in their midst had the power (if their
decision was contrary to his expressed
determination), to discharge them, and
so prevent their further liberty'of de-
Tending their rights. As soon as the
men bad made the above concession.
Mr.. Rowe went TO the foreman, struck
his dst on the desk, and said: We've
got them"
The men therefore assiduously ex-
erted themselves, obtained a comfort
able room in the house of one of the
shoe factory employees, notified all the
riveters, and at a meeting of the same
reconsidered the concession they had
made, unltedly declared the concession
to have been made undec the pressure
of strenuous circumstances, and that
the proposed prices were altogether in
sufficient, and they could not therefore
comply with such a monstrous de-
mand. A document was drawn out
to the above effect, and the names of all
the men who were at the meeting held
at the shoe factory, were attached
thereto. We here present the price list
by which the riveters worked, prior to
the Introduction of the prices lately
proposed; We also present the new list;